While I Still Lived In Newbern, I Dated A Girl In ...

While I still lived in Newbern, I dated a girl in Ridgely. After a long time that relationship deteriorated. During this time, and for many years on either side, there was a black woman named Eula Mae Smith who did our laundry and housecleaning. She was a saint of God, a dear family friend, and a woman of great wisdom.

One day I said to her, "Sister Smith, what I’m gonna do? When I go to see Bonnie, she is always feeling bad. Never too bad to change the TV channel, but too bad to talk to me. I don’t mean she talks a little; I mean she doesn’t say anything at all."

If ever there were a situation needing a closing time, that was one. Eula Mai knew that, and she explained it to me in the most graphic and practical manner. She said, "Preacho, I’ll tell you what. If I were you, I’d put that girl down. If she’s gonna teach dumb school, I’ll be dad-blamed if she would practice on me!"

Sometimes you need a closing time.